I created a SUSE 11.3 text-only boot USB stick for diagnostic purposes, using SUSE Studio. It boots and connects to my nfs network via eth0 on three different boxes. But when I boot on my a friend’s box that is connected via eth1 or eth2 it sees the cards but does not connect on bootup. Normally I would run yast2 and set up eth1 and eth2 but it’s not installed. Which file do I need to modify so that the boot process tries all three?
Thanks.
I created a SUSE 11.3 text-only boot USB stick for diagnostic purposes, using SUSE Studio. It boots and connects to my nfs network via eth0 on three different boxes. But when I boot on my a friend’s box that is connected via eth1 or eth2 it sees the cards but does not connect on bootup. Normally I would run yast2 and set up eth1 and eth2 but it’s not installed. Which file do I need to modify so that the boot process tries all three?
Thanks.
Are you just using ifup or is it NetworkManager? To automatically connect, you would need to enable the NetworkManager as the ifup method would just connect to the original network detected during installation or the last one selected manually using ifup. With NetworkManager, it can be set to connect automatically.
Thank You,
The SUSE Studio option of starting a network at boot was selected during the process of generating the system. This is using ifup as NetworkManager was not installed. I have now installed it. Normally I would use Yast to disable ifup and enable the NetworkManager daemon, but since I don’t have Yast it’s time to read how to do it in text-only mode via file editing.
Thanks for the advice.
The SUSE Studio option of starting a network at boot was selected during the process of generating the system. This is using ifup as NetworkManager was not installed. I have now installed it. Normally I would use Yast to disable ifup and enable the NetworkManager daemon, but since I don’t have Yast it’s time to read how to do it in text-only mode via file editing.
Thanks for the advice.
I am happy to help. Once you find the complete solution, you should post what you had to do in its entirety, for others to see.
Thank You,
Hi ionich. If you prefer to stay with ifup, you could edit the /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-eth* files directly. You can set the BOOTPROTO to ‘static’ or dhcp’, you’ll probably want the ethernet interfaces to use STARTMODE=‘auto’ or ‘onboot’. For example
BOOTPROTO='dhcp'
BROADCAST=''
IPADDR=''
MTU=''
NAME='AMD PCnet - Fast 79C971'
NETMASK=''
NETWORK=''
REMOTE_IPADDR=''
STARTMODE='auto'
UNIQUE='RuAAF.swy66v242tA'
USERCONTROL='no'
Thanks for the advice. I had just created a /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-eth1 file as I prefer to work with “ifup” if possible. Unfortunately it’s difficult to test as I don’t have a box with a second ethernet connection (besides eth0) and I need to borrow a laptop to test my diagnostic usb boot. I will report the results when I succeed.
The solution was remarkably simple. Here’s how I arrived at it. My USB stick generated by SUSE Studio worked fine with eth0. I started my desktop system, plugged in the USB stick and searched it for a file called “eth0”. I found one called ifcfg-eth0 in /etc/sysconfig/network. I compared it with the one from my desktop system. The USB file was much larger as it contained a template and explanations of each variable. I left it untouched. I copied the ifcfg-eth0 file from my desktop to the USB directory as ifcfg-eth1 and modified it to reflect the values of the USB ifcfg-eth0. I then borrowed a friends laptop and booted the USB stick. I didn’t get a connection, but in the boot message I saw that eth0 did not connect because it was the wireless connection and eth1 did not connect because it was not present, but that eth5 was identified. I copied ifcfg-eth1 to ifcfg-eth5, rebooted and got a connection which I confirmed by running lynx, the text based browser. By the way the template file was very informative and includes variables for setting up a wireless connection.
Seems like a very long explanation for such a simple solution.
Yes, its not hard, but I haven’t had to edit these files since suse 10/10.2. Thanks for the update. 
The solution was remarkably simple. Here’s how I arrived at it. My USB stick generated by SUSE Studio worked fine with eth0. I started my desktop system, plugged in the USB stick and searched it for a file called “eth0”. I found one called ifcfg-eth0 in /etc/sysconfig/network. I compared it with the one from my desktop system. The USB file was much larger as it contained a template and explanations of each variable. I left it untouched. I copied the ifcfg-eth0 file from my desktop to the USB directory as ifcfg-eth1 and modified it to reflect the values of the USB ifcfg-eth0. I then borrowed a friends laptop and booted the USB stick. I didn’t get a connection, but in the boot message I saw that eth0 did not connect because it was the wireless connection and eth1 did not connect because it was not present, but that eth5 was identified. I copied ifcfg-eth1 to ifcfg-eth5, rebooted and got a connection which I confirmed by running lynx, the text based browser. By the way the template file was very informative and includes variables for setting up a wireless connection.
Seems like a very long explanation for such a simple solution.
So you got it to work and that is the good thing and you came back with a full explanation which leaves no doubt about the exact fix. Thanks for taking the time to provide this. The only issue here, is that each different configuration would require yet another fix, so it is not automatic for all configurations, but you were not really trying to find that in the first place. I know one thing, I like to hear about success, no matter how it occurs.
It kind of reminds me about a fire alarm system I installed many moons ago in an all wooden structure Hotel in Houston. I light fixture on an exterior ceiling above an entrance caught fire, burned through the ceiling, fell out while still burning against a wooden exterior wall hanging by some wires, burnt through the wall and melted the wires together on an interior wall fire alarm pull station and set off the fire alarm system. Everyone got out safe and the Hotel was saved, by accident. Yet another success story to put into my Life History. lol!
Thank You,